Hearing of two defendants in fatal car accident postponed

BAKESFIELD, Calif. (KGET) – Two men charged in connection with a fiery accident that killed two sisters will not have a preliminary hearing until August at the earliest.

On Thursday, the hearing on whether the trial of Tevin Brandt and Gustavo Montoya will continue was postponed until August 29. They are each charged with two counts of negligent homicide and reckless driving.

The delay is due to attorney Mark Anthony Raimondo recently taking over Brandt’s case from the Kern County Public Defender’s Office. State’s Attorney Kacie Barrier did not object to the postponement, but acknowledged that Raimondo needs time to prepare.

Montoya and Brandt are accused of following a vehicle carrying three sisters delivering newspapers in the early morning of March 4, 2023. The men allegedly mistakenly believed the sisters had Brandt’s cellphone.

Montoya, an Uber driver who had previously driven Brandt, joined the search for the phone when they couldn’t find it in his vehicle.

The men drove to the sisters’ location in separate vehicles after Brandt used a device to track the phone. Police said they confronted the sisters and a chase ensued.

The sisters’ vehicle came to the end of McKee Road, where, according to police reports, it “went onto Highway 99” and was struck by a pickup truck, bursting into flames.

Karime Duarte, 21, and Jennifer Duarte, 15, were killed. The third sister, Diana Ponce, 23, suffered serious injuries.

According to police reports, Brandt’s phone was later found in a rideshare vehicle parked at the location where he first confronted the sisters.